Snow protector



April 2, 1963 M. P. RIZZOTTO 3,083,373

SNOW PROTECTOR Filed NOV. 17, 1960 I Fig. 3

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 4

Mary F. R/zzoflo INVENTOR.

WM ZYM April 2, 1963 M. P. RIZZOTTO 3,083,373

snow PROTECTOR Filed Nov. 17, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mary P. Rizzoflo INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,083,373 Patented Apr. 2, 1963 3,983,373 SNGW PROTECTGR #Iary P. iszotto, 4-7 Jones St, Hingharn, Mass. Filed Nov. 17, 196i), Ser. No. 69,965 2 Claims, (Cl. 2--2'70) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wearing apparel, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device which, in the nature of a protector, may be quickly and easily applied to the limbs, that is, either arms or legs or both, of a user, to prevent ingress of snow, wind, rain, et cetera, to the users wrists or ankles, as the case may be.

More specifically, the invention concerns itself with the provision of a sleeve-like protector member which, for example, may be superposed on a conventional mitt and overlap the adjacent end portion of a garment sleeve to prevent weather from gaining access to the wrist, the sleeve-like member in such instance being in the form of an auxiliary or outer mitt, and means being provided for separably attaching the same to the sleeve of the garment so that it may be readily applied or removed, as desired. Also, in another embodiment of the invention, the sleeve-like protector member may be applied so as to enclose the lower end portion of a garment leg and overlap the top of a shoe, to prevent weather from gaining access to the ankle.

In the latter instance, means may also be provided for separably attaching the protector to the garment leg and, if desired, the sleeve-like protector member may be longitudinally split and provided with separable fastening means at its split edges, so that it may be quickly and easily applied and removed without necessitating removal of the shoe.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, eflicient and comfortable use, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will subsequently become apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a garment leg, a shoe and the protector applied thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the protector per se;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, similar to that shown in FIGURE 1 but illustrating a modified form of the protector;

FIGURE 4 is a developed plan view of the protector shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View, similar to those shown in FIGURES l and 3 but illustrating another modified form of the protector;

FIGURE 6 is a group perspective view showing the garment leg of FIGURE 5 with a different type of a shoe and the protector removed therefrom;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a garment sleeve with a protector mitt applied to a conventional hand mitt; and

FIGURE 8 is a group perspective view of the sleeve and conventional mitt of FIGURE 7, with the protector mitt removed therefrom.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the reference numeral 15 designates a member of a garment covering all but the extremity of a limb, the limb in this instance being a leg and the member 10 being in the form of a garment leg such as the leg of trousers, snow suits, or the like. The limb extremity in this instance is, of course, the foot, which wears a conventional shoe or boot 12.

The protector in accordance with the invention is indicated at 14 and is in the form of a sleeve made of suitable material such as fabric, or the like, which is preferably knitted or otherwise arranged so as to possess a certain amount of elastic yieldability in the sense that the diameter of the sleeve may be stretched or expanded to facilitate its installation and removal, but when in situ, it automatically contracts into a snugly fitting embrace with the limb to which it is appled. As such, the protector 14 is applied so that it covers the lower end portion of the garment leg 10 and also overlaps the top of the shoe 12, whereby to prevent access of snow, rain, wind, et cetera, to the ankle which, in the absence of the protector, is often exposed to weather. The protector 14 is preferably applied to the garment leg 10 before the shoe 12 is placed on the foot, whereupon the protector is turned down or drawn over the top of the boot or shoe.

The modified form of the protector indicated at 24 in FIGURES 3 and 4 is similar to the protector 14 with exception that the protector sleeve herein is longitudinally split and provided at its longitudinally split edges with coacting slide fastener means 26 for separably connecting the split edges together. By virtue thereof, the protector may be opened up to a fiat form as shown in FIGURE 4 and may be quickly and easily applied to or removed from the leg with or without the shoe or boot 12 in place, and without the necessity of being passed over the users foot.

In another modified form of the invention shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 and designated by the numeral 34-, the protector sleeve is also longitudinally split and provided with the slide fastener means 26. However, it is also provided at its upper edge with slide fastener means 33 for cooperation with coacting slide fastener means 40 which are provided on the garment leg 42. As will be noted, the slide fastener means 38, 40 extend circumferentially of the leg in a plane spaced upwardly from the lower end of the garment leg and facilitate separable attachment of the protector to the garment leg, so that the protector does not become displaced while in use. The garment leg 42 may be equipped at its lower end with a conventional, elastically yieldable anklet 44- which is tucked inside the upper of the boot 12 and the lower end of the protector is also equipped with a similar elastically yieldable portion or anklet 46 which is adapted to cover the lower end portion of the garment leg 42 and the top of the boot 12 while the anklet 46 extends downwardly over the top of the boot 12 with a tight, snug fit. FIGURE 6 illustrates a conventional shoe 48 which is worn inside the boot 12 of FIGURE 5, the protector 34 being removed in FIGURE 6 so that the shoe 48 is visible.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate the principles of the invention applied to hand covering rather than to foot or leg covering, in which instance the invention comprises a protector 50 which is generally sleeve-shaped but more particularly is in the form of a mitt such as may be drawn over a conventional mitt 52 on the hand of a user. The protector or auxiliary mitt 50 is long enough to overlap and cover the end portion of a garment sleeve 54 and coacting slide fastener means 56, 58 are provided on the mitt and on the garment sleeve, respectively, for separably attaching the protector mitt to the sleeve. As in the leg arrangement disclosed in FIGURES 5 and 6, the slide fastener means 56, 58 of the hand arrangement are spaced upwardly from the free or lower end of the garment sleeve, as will be clearly apparent, so that the protector mitt also covers the free end portion of the sleeve.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation as shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted -to,-falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as newis: .1. :Inwearing apparel, agarrnent. leg, an elastic anklet provided at-thedower end ot-said garmentleg and positlOlJflblYjllXtflPOSfidiQ the top of aishoeya sleeve-like pro- :tector superposed on the lower end portion of said garment deg, circumferential slide fastener meansseparably :con'nec'ting' the upper edge of said protector to the garment 'leg;in aplane spaced above the'garment leg anklet, an .elastic anklet provided at the lower edge ofzsaid protector, said "last mentioned .anklet enclosing the garment leg valnkletsancl being adapted to overlap said shoe, said protector. and said'ankletlthereof being longitudinally split, ..and slide fastenenmeans separably securing together the ,longitudinallyisplit edges-of the protector and its anklet. :2n'In wearing appareLa garment leg, said garment leg :havingfa lower end positionably juxtaposed to the top of a shoe;v asleeve-like: protector superposed on said garment leg and extendingfrom"thelowerendof the garment leg JtQELPOlHtTSPQCBd upwardly therefrom'a distance sufiicient -S0-3SZt0 accommodate thenpper portion of a conventionahboot .Worn'. over the shoe,circurnfential slide fastener-means separably-connecting the upperedge of said -proteetor t0 the garment leg, an elastic 'anklet provided at the lower end of said protector, said protector and said anklet being longitudinally split, and slide fastener means separably securing together the longitudinally split edges of the protector and anklet.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,567 Meade Jan. 10, 1893 1,708,144 Martin Apr. 9, 1929 1,894,866 Heelan Jan. 17, 1933 2,032,982 Gerstman Mar. 3, 1936 2,136,879 Haberet a1 Nov. 15, 1938 2,159,119 Allen May 23, 1939 2,247,831 Asch et a1. July 1, 1941 2,308,411 Wolfson Jan. 12, 1943 2,571,202 Clyne Oct. 16,1951 2,649,583 Schaefier Aug. 25, 1953 2,730,723 Jonsson Jan. 17, 1956 2,778,027 Bacon Ian. 22, 1957 2,966,684 Bonin Jan. 3, 1961 2,973,521 McGowan Mar. 7, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 20, 787 Great=Britain Oct. 30, 1894 454,954 Italy Feb. 8, 1950 283,030, Switzerland Sept. 1, 1952 

1. IN WEARING APPAREL, A GARMENT LEG, AN ELASTIC ANKLET PROVIDED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID GARMENT LEG AND POSITIONABLY JUXTAPOSED TO THE TOP OF A SHOE, A SLEEVE-LIKE PROTECTOR SUPERPOSED ON THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID GARMENT LEG, CIRCUMFERENTIAL SLIDE FASTENER MEANS SEPARABLY CONNECTING THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID PROTECTOR TO THE GARMENT LEG IN A PLANE SAPCED ABOVE THE GARMENT LEG ANKLET, AN ELASTIC ANKLET PROVIDED AT THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID PROTECTOR, SAID LAST MENTIONED ANKLET ENCLOSING THE GARMENT LEG ANKLET AND BEING ADAPTED TO OVERLAP SAID SHOE, SAID PROTECTOR AND SAID ANKLET THEREOF BEING LONGITUDINALLY SPLIT, AND SLIDE FASTENER MEANS SEPARABLY SECURING TOGETHER THE LONGITUDINALLY SPLIT EDGES OF THE PROTECTOR AND ITS ANKLET. 